1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an odor control animal litter, and more particularly to an animal litter having microcapsules affixed to absorbent particles and adapted to selectively release a fragrance or deodorizer.
2. Prior Art
A wide variety of absorbant substrates, normally particulate, are used for animial litters. For example, substrates include cellulosic materials such as sawdust, wood chips, wood shavings, oat hulls, alfalfa (usually pressed or agglomerated), and clay minerals such as kaolinites or montmorillonites. As these animal litters are used, they develop malodors fairly rapidly. Various attempts have been made to mask the malodors and/or to extend the useful life of animal litters.
One direction which has been taken has involved adding a fragrance or deodorizer, by mixing or spraying, to an animal litter. However, these animal litters release their odor masking components continuously, and the odor masking property is relatively rapidly exhausted.
Another approach has been to provide a moisture sensitive release of fragrance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,581, inventor Brewer, issued Nov. 25, 1975, discloses a solid excipient having a water-sensitive disintegrant. The solid excipient is designed to disintegrate when the animal litter is moistened by urine. However, this animal litter provides little or no odor masking for feces, and after a period of some use by the animal tends to develop moist clumps of disintegrated particles.